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Surveillance
Contagion
Exciting, ambitious, ensemble medical thriller from Soderbergh - hampered by a dodgy turn from Jude Law.
4th Dec 2012
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Weekend
Stylish, accomplished feature about a burgeoning romance ...that gets a bit drawn out.
30th Nov 2012
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Tiny Furniture
Clinical 90s indie throwback, with lots of middle-class art students talking about themselves.
25th Nov 2012
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The Final Countdown
Underdeveloped time-travel flick that pits an 80s aircraft carrier against the 40s Japanese.
Halliwell says: Quite an enjoyable bit of schoolboy science fiction, but containing no more body than an episode of Twilight Zone. The ending, as so often, is impenetrable.*
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21st Nov 2012
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50 / 50
Ambitious cancer movie, with an original take and many powerful moments.
18th Nov 2012
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Alien Nation
Dated, but not unsuccessful, attempt to mash up buddy-cop and sci-fi tropes.
Halliwell says: What begins as an interestingly oblique look at the problem of racism soon turns into a lacklustre action movie.
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16th Nov 2012
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In Time
Clunky, clumsy, convoluted sci-fi from Andrew Niccol. Re-treading his usual themes.
16th Nov 2012
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21 Jump St
Effective comedy reboot with @ChanningTatum making a good case to take over @Mark_Wahlberg's comedy crown.
15th Nov 2012
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Act of Valor
Exciting first-person action can't trump a crass plot, appalling script and diabolical non-actor leads.
11th Nov 2012
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War Horse
Plodding, formless WWII drama with Spielberg in full schmaltz mode. Blackadder IV meets Black Beauty.
10th Nov 2012
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Win Win
Engaging, low-key, small-town wrestling comedy-drama ...with Paul Giametti and Gyp Rosetti.
6th Nov 2012
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Haywire
Note to self - never cast a stunt actor as the lead in an ensemble feature film. Steven Soderbergh disaster.
5th Nov 2012
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Crazy, Stupid, Love
Above average rom-com, with all the usual ingredients assembled in a fresh, touching way.
3rd Nov 2012
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Paranoid Park
Gus Van Sant's skateboard / whodunnit mash up meanders aimlessly, pretending 'Kids' never happened.
30th Oct 2012
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Texas Killing Fields
Shambolic, badly directed thriller from Michael Mann's daughter - set in a rainy (?!) Texas.
29th Oct 2012
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Like Crazy
Successful low budget indie, building a touching portrait of firstlove and a long-distance relationship.
29th Oct 2012
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Skyfall
Solid, stylish, well-rounded Bond - that tips its hat while also serving as something of a reboot.
26th Oct 2012
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The 40 Yr Old Virgin
Prototype @JuddApatow movie without the LOLs of Knocked Up or the confidence of Funny People.
25th Oct 2012
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Wish You Were Here
Compelling aussie drugs/holiday/infidelity mystery from @bluetonguefilms. Doesn't quite take off.
14th Oct 2012
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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Beautifully handled, genre blending western with standout script, acting, direction.
Halliwell says: Humorous, cheerful, poetic, cinematic account of the two semi-legendary outlaws, winningly acted and directed. One of the decade's great commercial successes, not least because of the song 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head'.***
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14th Oct 2012
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The Thing
Unadventurous, shapeless reboot of an over-rated gross-out b-movie. About as interesting as AVP.
14th Oct 2012
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My Week With Marilyn
B-list studded meander through Marilyn's time in Britain, shooting with Larry Olivier.
6th Oct 2012
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Source Code
Plot-heavy Hitchcockian mash-up of 'Quantum Leap' and 'Groundhog Day' from Zowie Bowie.
4th Oct 2012
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Looper
Decent time-travel conundrums from @RCJohnso in this indie-meets-tentpole scifi effort. A bit like 12 Monkeys.
3rd Oct 2012
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Killing Them Softly
Disappointingly drawn out, pretentious thriller that would have made a decent short film.
27th Sep 2012
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Once you peel back the hype all you're left with is an overlong but stylish whodunit.
25th Sep 2012
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The Cabin In The Woods
Silly post-modern mash-up of Scooby Doo and The Truman Show. Wears thin pretty quickly.
24th Sep 2012
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Moneyball
Solid, if slightly underwhelming sports drama with decent performances.
18th Sep 2012
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One Day
Trite, superficial Harry Met Sally update, with laughable beards.
14th Sep 2012
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Thoughtful action gives way to stupidity as Caeser becomes modern day Chimp Guervara.
2nd Sep 2012
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Killer Elite
Clunky, confused actioner that can't decide which wasted star is the protagonist.
19th Aug 2012
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The Help
Decent slice of Oscar-bait, with a scene stealing performance from Jessica Chastain.
18th Aug 2012
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Edge of Darkness
A promising story quickly plummets into dullness with a cookie cutter performance from Mel Gibson.
14th Aug 2012
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The Debt
Well-meaning but dull Nazi-hunting political actioner from John Madden.
2nd Aug 2012
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Welcome to the Rileys
Contrived, downbeat melodrama from Ridley Scott Jnr.
22nd Jul 2012
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The Dark Knight Rises
Convoluted plot and hammy dialogue help this expensive threquel take 2.5 hours to get going.
19th Jul 2012
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Cowboys & Aliens
Jeopardy-free genre mash up that doesn't make the most of its potential, or it's cast.
14th Jul 2012
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Strawberry Fields
Low-key indie Brit flick, with two sisters strained relationship impacting summer fruit picking.
10th Jul 2012
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Killer Joe
Ugly, over-hyped exploitation movie from a past his best director that plays out like a 90s video nasty.
10th Jul 2012
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Green Lantern
Expensive, often hilariously naff B-movie about a C-list superhero. Bomb.
8th Jul 2012
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Friends With Benefits
Abysmal update to Harry Met Sally, with non-stop 'real' dialogue. Bizarro @Shaun_White cameo.
8th Jul 2012
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The Whistle Blower
Rachel Weisz heads up a hard-hitting post-war-crimes investigation in Bosnia. Worthy thriller.
7th Jul 2012
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Ali
Expensive, ambitious, stylish biopic with a decent turn from Fresh Prince. Unfortunately it's dead boring.
7th Jul 2012
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X-Men First Class
Decent enough reload for the series, though the groovy 60s setting is undermined by cheesy effects.
1st Jul 2012
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Newlyweds
Small scale, effortless, charming relationship comedy, made by @edward_burns for $9000. A lesson to us all.
30th Jun 2012
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We Need To Talk About Kevin
Accomplished, terrifying, kaleidoscopic portrait of a child's descent to the dark side.
29th Jun 2012
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Sideways
This 2004 vintage indie smash has not aged particularly well, but it still has its moments.
25th Jun 2012
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30 Minutes or Less
Funny, tightly scripted comedy from @RubenFleischer with Eisenberg, @AzizAnsari and Danny McBride.
16th Jun 2012
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Prometheus
Shapeless script and shoddy direction add up to make this Ridley Scott's 'Attack of the Clones'. Woeful.
14th Jun 2012
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Arthur
Staggeringly unambitious reboot of an over-rated 'classic'.
11th Jun 2012
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